Thursday, May 31

Grubb's Been Growing.








I was listening, as I do every morning, to the KFOG Morning Show (that's our local SF radio station). A woman named Flora Grubb was speaking about gardening and her new nursery. I thought, seriously, Flora Grubb, did she make that name up? Or like people often do, did she just grow into it (no pun intended). I mean, what a perfect name for a garden expert extraordinaire and nursery owner.




It's odd how a name just all of a sudden just starts popping up all around you, and Flora Grubb has been stalking me. Everywhere I turn I see an article about her move from her original site at Guerrero Street Gardens to the new 28,000-square-foot nursery she built in Bayview. She also carries some great home and garden accessories and, offers a conveniently located Ritual Coffee Roasters right inside the nursery!

What a cool job to have, surrounded by lush, green plants all day and helping people build their dream gardens while they sip on cappuccinos. And, she started this business after a dot.com bust, by offering her landscaping services on craigslist, which I find very inspiring and quite impressive.

She had lots of sage advice on KFOG's In the Dirt with Flora Grubb that day and apparently she checks in with them often. I liked the way she answered callers questions and explained gardening tips in a really down to earth way. She also had great suggestions on the ideal plants for the unusual and ever-changing Bay Area micro-climates. I'll definitely be getting some greenery, and some coffee, at Flora Grubb Gardens very soon. Doesn't it look like a cool place?


Flora Grubb Gardens, 1634 Jerrold Avenue, at 3rd Street (415-626-7256).

*All these lovely photographs courtesy of Scott Beale/Laughing Squid at laughingsquid.com.

16 comments:

Linda O'Neill said...

Love the espresso bar inside the nursery. And a "Palm Broker"?...that's an interesting title!:)

Anonymous said...

Did you intend to say, "sage advice"? ;)
This looks like a wonderful place - I'll check it out next time I'm in town.

Anonymous said...

Talk about stalking you! I just read about her the other day... http://www.houseandgarden.com/trends/tastemaker/floragrubb

Her place looks fab!

ruth said...

Someone should do a book about people with names like that. The dentist that pulled my teeth before I got braces was named Dr. Grippo.
p.s. the poster arrived--thanks!

Anonymous said...

My cousins went to a dentist named Dr. Tuthacher--real name, no joke.

Victoria--I went to post this in your "Keep Calm poster" post, but it wouldn't let me. I just wonder how, when you say you trim the mats in your Ikea Ribba frames to accomodate posters, you go about that? Do you just measure and then cut with an exacto knife? Don't you lose the beveled-edge then? I have one that I want to do, but I don't want to screw it up. Thanks. Julie in SF

Susie said...

Isn't it beautiful? My husband is the other owner of this business (Flora's business partner), so I just wanted to add that not only is this an amazing store, but it's also a green building: solar-powered, with radiant heat, built using a lot of recycled materials. They really care about running the business with integrity - which is another reason to shop there!

sfgirlbybay said...

i'm so glad you all are as impressed as I am.

Susie - so is your husband also the chef at Zuni? i't only my favorite restaurant in the city, where I go every birthday for oysters, caesar salad and the famous zuni roast chicken!

Anonymous said...

I adore those moroccan inspired lanterns, they are adorable and colors just pop in that photo. I can imagine owning several.

Susie said...

Victoria - He cooked at Zuni four or five years ago (that chicken is to die for!!) but found that the hours of kitchen life were not for him. That's when we met Flora and he got in the garden business.

Love your blog, by the way! You have fabulous taste. Thanks for all the hard work you put into it.

Anonymous said...

The new Flora Grubb is lovely--I went on Sunday with my new "little sister" for hot chocolate because it's in her neighborhood (the old one was two blocks from me) and then we browsed the grounds. Good for Flora and Ritual for moving to the Bayview (and they're right off 3rd Street, so right off the new T line).

bixx said...

how was the selection of outdoor fountains?
cute coffee dude.

sfgirlbybay said...

susie - what a great success story your husband & flora have - really inspiring!

anon - what a nice day with your 'little sister' - and it's awesome that they are supporting the bayview area! :)

kim - have not made it there to check out the fountains yet.

and yes, the coffee guy is hot!

Another Shade of Grey said...

Love those lanterns.

Jan Halvarson said...

how fun and what beautiful surroundings is right. love those lanterns

bixx said...

i really could've read the wee note about the photos being from laughingsquid. may have to haul myself out there then- thanks.

r. chunn said...

It's places like Flore Grubb Gardens that make me want to move back to San Francisco.